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Spring Cleaning + Allergy Awareness Week

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Spring is finally here which means glorious sunshine, lighter evenings and the prospect of summer which is fantastic, unless you have allergies/hayfever as I do. Spring blooms, sunshine and April showers are perfect for the garden but not so great if your immune system thinks that harmless pollen particles are dangerous - in other words, if you suffer from hayfever. I have only developed hayfever over the past couple of years. I personally have a stuffy/tingling nose, headaches, irritated sinuses and sneezing. As well as hayfever/allergy tablets and nasal sprays, another way to reduce hayfever and allergy symptoms is to do a full spring clean!

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology suggests washing bed linen in hot water once a week, hanging washing inside rather than outside as pollen may stick to it and checking your home for mould/mildew as mould can elicit similar symptoms to hayfever. Replacing or cleaning air filters/air conditioning vents and window vents as well as deep cleaning upholstery/carpets will help remove pollen and dust, in turn reducing annoying allergy symptoms.

Keeping doors and windows open will bring pollen particles into your home, so keep them closed during peak pollen times - check your local weather forecast online as it may state the pollen count. Not only will a spring clean help reduce the amount of pollen in your home but it is great to refresh your surroundings.

Also spring cleaning, using non-toxic products will help if you suffer from other allergies, as well as hayfever, such as dust mite allergies and asthma. Remember to wear gloves/protective clothing to prevent drying out the skin and potentially irritating the skin. I find that wearing gloves and washing my hands often can make my hands even drier so keeping the skin moisturised helps prevent dryness and tightness - the *Boots Botanics Anti-Ageing Hand Cream not only hydrates the skin but it leaves my skin smooth and soft, however it doesn't absorb as quickly as I would personally like.

I was very kindly sent a range of spring cleaning products from Time4Sleep including the *Flash Febreze Wipes, *Mr Muscle Active Capsules, *Dettol Multipurpose Complete Clean Kitchen Cleaner, *Marigold Cleaning Gloves as well as cleaning cloths and scourers. The wipes and kitchen cleaner smell fresh and spring like! Spring cleaning is not just about cleaning products but also making your home more homely and adding spring scents and colours which not only look pretty but also have an uplifting effect on your mood. Candles are lovely home additions, I have the *Wax Lyrical Soft Cotton Candle which smells so fresh, clean and comforting. Drawer liners and scent sachets are also great; the *Wax Lyrical Jelly Belly Toasted Marshmallow Small Room Air Fresher smells like very sweet marshmallow and it's quite strong so I think the fragrance will last for quite a while.

Overall, if you suffer from hayfever, dust mite allergies, asthma or if you are allergic to pet dander then spring cleaning your home will definitely help reduce your symptoms. Also changing up your home decor seasonally is always uplifting and refreshing - candles, diffusers and other home fragrance is a great way of injecting some spring freshness into your home.

The online bed retailer Time4Sleepconducted an independent survey into the nation’s cleaning habits in aid of Allergy Awareness Week. The research found that 57% of Brits are failing to take precautions against dust mites in their homes, despite their potential to cause allergic reactions - producing symptoms that are similar to hayfever. Check out the time4sleep blog for more allergy information, here.

Urgh for the first time in my life I've been feeling slightly ill and it's quite funny how I started feeling ill when the spring arrived! But now that I read your little guide I'll hopefully be fine haha!

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